3 Tips that Simplify Building an Online Shopping Website
The rise of online shopping has opened new doors for existing businesses and brought about the rise of e-commerce entrepreneurs. The multitudes of consumers now shopping online have paved the way for the growth of digital commerce.
E-commerce’s success has so greatly impacted worldwide commerce. So much so that it’s imperative for traditional businesses to get serious about establishing their presence online in order to compete with digital sellers and expand their customer base.
If you’re a retailer who wants to take a crack at e-commerce, the first thing you’ll need is to have one of those business websites.
Why have a custom site built?
It’s a good question. With marketplaces like Amazon providing you everything you need to start selling online, building your own shopping website seems like a costly project.
Business websites are still the most important tool for brands that want to attract sales online. It’s the equivalent of your brick-and-mortar store, except that it lives on the web and is open 24/7.
On your own e-commerce site, you can add your full product catalog and highlight products that offer the most value.
Mounting a digital marketing campaign would be necessary to increase your customer reach. To do this right, you’ll first need to have a shopping website that will serve as the center of your social media and content marketing efforts.
Plan smart
Now, meticulous planning is required to create a shopping website that aptly reflects your brand and effectively displays your products. However, this doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Follow the three steps below to simplify the process of planning, and later on, building your own e-commerce site.
Pick a domain name
Assuming that you already own an established retail business and just want to expand in e-commerce, your first order of business should be selecting a domain name.
Ideally, this should also be your company name, but if that’s not possible, you can get one that’s relevant to the product or service you’re offering. Preferably something that’s one word and easy to remember.
Web hosting companies like GoDaddy make it easy for first-time domain buyers to purchase a domain. It will also be important to then host your site on a reliable server.
Designing your e-commerce store
Work with a reputable web design company in conceptualizing your online store. Hiring a professional to create your website ensures that your design concept is brought to life just the way you want it.
Consider the following as you go about designing your shopping website:
- Seamless user interface
- Site architecture should be set up in a way that’s convenient for buyers
- Details of saleable products (e.g. images, prices, users’ comments, ratings)
Setting up payment and shipping
Make sure that you have multiple payment options available for your customers. The most common trio of payment options would be credit/debit card, online wallets, and COD.
Since you’ll be transferring data online, protect your website by having a Secured Security Layer (SSL), a digital certificate that keeps your website secure and builds trust among your customers.
Finally, select a shipping partner that will handle logistics and courier services on your behalf so orders are shipped and received in a timely manner.
G4 Design House is proud to offer its services nationwide, but especially locally in San Diego and surrounding areas and cities: Chula Vista, Encinitas, Escondido, San Marcos, Del Mar, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Temecula, Anaheim, and Los Angeles.